Paul Hallinan Miller has assumed the archetypal role of the clown with gusto and has used his vision and determination to become an entrepreneur in the circus arena and beyond. After successfully gaining admission to the prestigious Ringling Bros. Clown College, he dropped out of the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music (CCM) and accepted the opportunity to tour with what is trademarked “The Greatest Show on Earth.” In 1998 Paul returned to graduate with a degree in Dramatic Performance from CCM, where last year he served as an adjunct faculty member teaching circus “movement.”

After college Paul worked as an actor and clown in NYC, even landing recurring roles on soap operas, and performed in a nightly cabaret in Japan. In 2001 he moved to Chicago and created CircEsteem, a youth program based on building self-esteem through circus skills. He stepped down from CircEsteem and moved back to his Kentucky roots with his wife and two children in 2008.

The following year Paul created Circus Mojo with a focus on three rings: entertainment, education and community development. Circus Mojo’s programs and performances are designed to unlock personal talent, confidence, drive and spirit. Circus Wellness is one of its ongoing programs at Cincinnati Children’s, Texas Children’s and Rush Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Paul has been a guest and keynote speaker on his work in hospitals at arts and healthcare conferences in Berlin, Jerusalem, Stuttgart, Sydney and Tampere, Finland. In 2014 he received the Distinguished Fellow Award from the Arts and Health Alliance.

His worldwide connections are putting Ludlow, Kentucky on the global map. Paul created the International College Circus Festival and hosted it at The Ludlow Theatre in 2013 and 2014. This spring, with help from the U.S. State Department, he will produce the festival in Mexico City. He also has maintained an educational exchange and partnership with Circus Pimparello, a youth circus in Germany, for 10 years. To date, students, performers and trainers have visited The Ludlow Theatre from 19 countries: Antigua to Argentina, Germany to Ghana and Sudan to Suriname.

In 2013 the City of Ludlow sold Paul a former church, which is currently under renovation with funds from the KY Department of Tourism. The goal for this building is to become the first center in the U.S. dedicated to the vocational training of circus in nontraditional environments. Paul set up the Social Circus Foundation in 2013 to support this initiative. For over 12 years, he has partnered with Cirque Du Soleil to promote the growth of social circus. He plans to use state and federal historic tax credits to restore the original marquee and expand The Ludlow Theatre into the Bircus Brewing Co., a microbrewery licensed from Circusplaneet from Ghent, Belgium. While unconventional, Paul’s model for the brewery stems from the maxim—concessions fuel the circus!

Born and raised in Mexico City, Sharon took aerial silk lessons as part of a successful government program that keeps youth out of the streets. In 2010 she moved to Cincinnati with her husband and after weeks of searching for a place to practice silks, she found Circus Mojo. Because of the distance (a 90-minute bus ride, one way) between her house and the Circus Mojo studio, Sharon says she was reluctant to commit to the project at first. But after getting her Immigration work permit, working with Paul and the rest of the staff and students, volunteering for some smaller gigs and seven weeks of summer camp, Sharon became a full-time employee for Circus Mojo. Since then, she has performed in dozens of shows and taught countless classes, including being a part of Circus Mojo's Cincinnati Children's Hospital and Hillcrest Detention Center programs. She's looking forward for all the shows to come!

Who’d have thought she’d wind up in a circus? Circus Mojo that is. All of her life, Renee has used both sides of her brain. Renee’s business studies include Accounting, Economics and Communication while her music studies include Piano, Voice and Choral Conducting. Renee has worked in a variety of small businesses and schools, taught thousands of students and raised a blended family. With a passion for life, commitment to family and church, Renee now joins up with Paul Miller to help in his social circus venture.

Raised in Union, Kentucky Gribben brings with her enthusiasm and a strong skill set from experience in special events, child development, public relations and volunteerism. An Armstrong Atlantic State University graduate, Gribben came to Circus Mojo from Savannah, Georgia, where managing public outreach and education initiatives were among her responsibilities for the City of Garden City.